23 August 2006

UPDATE: After 8 days, FINALLY some video of our captured colleagues and a claim of responsibility from the group who took them: an unknown group called the "Holy Jihad Brigades." Hopefully, now we know who captured these guys the network can finally start negotiating for their release.

Saw the final two parts of Spike Lee's documentary on HBO. It focused on the slow and painful rebuilding of evacuee's lives--and the many inhumanities along the way. It was extremely painful to watch--(especially the recovery of bodies several months after the storm). It also focused on the COLLOSAL failure of the government and the Army Corps of Engineers on the woefully inadequate levee system. Terence Blanchard is right: somebody SHOULD go to jail for that. There was also not a lot of Harry Belafonte in parts 3 & 4--just the narratives and stories of people in NOLA (and in Mississippi.) This is just what it should be. It's just a brilliant piece of work.